Although her mind had been made up for weeks, Lawrence High senior Tayler Tolefree made things official Friday afternoon in the LHS library.

In front of nearly 50 friends, family members and fans, Tolefree, an all-state volleyball player who led the Lions to the 2008 Class 6A state tournament, signed a national letter of intent to attend Kansas University.

For Tolefree, who committed to KU before the 2008 volleyball season, signing on the dotted line was a special moment.

“I just kept thinking about how crazy it is that I’m actually going to play there,” she said. “Not a day goes by where I don’t think about that. And to have everyone here, all in one place, telling me congratulations and supporting me was really cool. I know they’re proud of me, but having them all here was really special.”

Tolefree received interest from Ohio State, Maryland and Central Florida, among others, and initially thought she would end up at any of the dozens of programs that were after her. But a close connection with her family as well as the relationships she has created within the KU volleyball program convinced her that becoming a Jayhawk was the right move.